Norman Conquest- Three contenders for English throne in 1066 Harold Godwinson Edgar William, Duke
of Normany- Harold declared king by Witan- William and 5000 Norman vassals invaded England.- Harold's brother, allied with King of Norway, invaded
England- Harold's troops defeated Norwegians, marched 250 miles
south, and faced Normans- Harold killed at Battle of Hastings
(14 October 1066)- William accepted by Witan and crowned King of English

Norman InnovationsNobles lived in castles - protected owners against A-S and
other Norman nobles - built first of wood, then of stone
in motte and bailey design keep or fortified
tower built on motte (main defensive bastion) moat often
encircled castle bailey was
walled courtyard containing stables, stores, workshops, housing

Feudalism- was social organization designed to support cavalry Normans paid for castles and knights
with income from land worked by serfs Land called fief or feudum- after Conquest William granted fiefs
(baronies) to c. 170 knights (barons) who became his vassals
(tenants-in-chief) vassals expected to provide military
service and to pay feudal dues. pledged submission and loyalty to
lord (homage and fealty) lord promised to protect and support
vassal- tenants-in-chief raised required contingent of knights
by subinfeudation settled others on lands in return
for military service land that could support single knight
known as knight's fee (by the 12th c. estate earning £20 annually)- economic complement was manorialism:
land farmed by serfs who provided labor service
in return for protection from lord of manor Norman Conquest brought fundamental
change in nature of land holdings in A-S England,
folk determined who owned land under feudalism,
no one owned land except king (liege lord); everyone else
possessed it- lord's manor became a political and judicial unit at Christmas, Easter, and Whitsuntide
king kept court with tenants-in--chief tenants-in-chief were William’s main
royal administrators feudal estates or honors
became new unit of government tenant-in-chief expected his vassals
to attend his honorialcourt

Norman Yoke?- Normans blamed for reducing A-S peasants to serfs (villeins)- Opponents of “Norman Yoke” theory argue slavery died
out- Both increase of serfdom and decrease of slavery stretched
back to A-S period- Life probably changed very little for most peasants

Taxation was higher under Normans needed funds to build castles and
raise armies turned large areas into royal forestsWilliam Rufus (1087-1100)
taxed nobles and church as well as peasants left church offices vacant and pocketed
revenues extracted large gifts from bishops
and abbots got a bad press from the monastic
chroniclers; Anglo-Saxon Chronicle claims he was “hated by almost all
his people and was odious to God”

Henry I (1100-1135) was even
more efficient/rapacious established Court
of Exchequer (Europe’s first royal accounting office) became wealthiest monarch in Northern
Europe judged positively by chroniclers:
“He did justice and kept the peace.”Taxes increased under Norman kings, but so too did national
wealth economic boom lasted through 12th
c. kings encouraged trade peasants benefited from orderCivil War- Broke out in 1135 following death of Henry I only son drowned throne promised
to daughter Matilda throne seized
by nephew Stephen- Stephen amiableand easygoing fellow; reign was disaster- Nobles took advantage of weakness to seize land and
wealth from other nobles and the church and to oppress the peasants.- Stephen’s reign marked by “Anarchy” Chroniclers
wrote, “He did no justice.”Lesson: Nice kings finish last